Wolves At Heart
by Night-the-Dragon
Summary: Roxas, an ookami, finds Axel, a human child, abandoned in the forest, and brings him to his pack. Many of the pack hate humans, but Axel is still brought into the pack. 8 years pass, and the redhead finds himself wishing to be an ookami. He also finds himself developing feelings for the blonde. Will this work out? Will Axel get his wish? Read to find out. Yaoi, mpreg, RokuAku, etc.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: I came up with this while on our road trip back home from Las Vegas and San Diego. Roxas POV. I think it'll be interesting, and you'll see why soon enough…Enjoy~

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the story.

Wolves At Heart

Chapter 1

I padded through the forest underbrush, silently creeping up on my prey. My deep blue eyes remained focused on my target, who hadn't yet noticed me. Finally, I was close enough, and I leapt, snatching the rabbit up in my jaws and killing it. _Thank goodness I finally got some food_, I thought to myself. Food was getting to be scarce these days, what with the humans trying to hunt for themselves close to our territory and the animals nesting up for the impending winter.

See, I'm an ookami, a human/wolf hybrid. Humans had been hunting us for years, trying to keep themselves safe, and yet we've done nothing to them. They feel we're a threat because we're so different from anything else. We can shift between a full wolf form or a human form with wolf ears and a tail, so they think we're freaks or something. We're different, not freaks, sheesh!

A sudden snap of a branch made me look up sharply, my eyes narrowing suspiciously. I quickly took a few more bites of my rabbit before standing, shaking my blonde fur out before going to see where the noise had come from. There was a tiny, terrified whimper that came from a bush, and I watched the foliage, puzzled. Was someone seriously watching me?

I cautiously approached the bush, sniffing the air quietly. As soon as the scent hit my nostrils, I froze; a human! But the human's scent was mixed with a heavy stench of fear, making me wonder why a human was out here if they were that scared. Nosing apart the branches of the bush, I was startled to see a pair of bright, emerald green eyes staring at me in horror. Backing away, I shifted to my human form and tried again.

"Hey, I'm not gonna hurt you," I murmured, smiling slightly. The human watched me warily, as though not trusting me. I sighed. "Look, if I was going to hurt you, you'd be dead by now." He seemed to realize I was right and carefully slipped out from the bush. I was greeted by a child almost as tall as me, just a few inches shy, with spiked, fiery red hair and bright green eyes. "So kid, what's your name?"

"Axel," he mumbled. He looked up at me timidly. "You're an ookami, aren't you?"

"Yeah, I am," I smirked, one of my ears twitching. "Never seen one before, have ya?"

"No…"

"Well, hopefully this won't be the last time," I chuckled. "How come you're out here all alone?"

"My parents took me out here to the forest and told me to stay here, and they left me and never came back," he whimpered, tears forming in his eyes.

"Aw geez," I groaned. I decided right then and there to take him home with me, human or not. I don't care what the others say about humans, this one can be trusted. He's different from them, I know it. "Hey Axel," I said, grasping his hand. He looked back up at me with a heart-breaking expression. "Come home with me, to my pack."

"What?" he whispered.

"Yeah, I'll take you home with me. I don't like the idea of kids dying in the forest, so I'll make sure you're taken care of. How long have you been here?" I asked.

"Two days," he mumbled. I stared at him, shocked; how was he not dead already? Okay, yeah, the kid's coming with me.

"All right, hang on," I told him. I stepped back and shifted into my wolf form, and then motioned for him to climb onto my back. I lowered myself down and let Axel clamber on my back, where he gripped my fur tightly so he wouldn't fall. I then took off at a fast run to my pack's home, a large clearing in a rock face where we were all protected.

As soon as I stepped into the clearing, I heard growls and snarls erupt around me. I sat down and let Axel slide off my back before shifting into human form again. He clung to my side as the other ookamis in the pack approached, watching them with terrified eyes. I placed my hand reassuringly on his shoulder before glaring at my pack mates.

"Will you all knock it off?!" I shouted at them. "He's only a kid, he's not gonna hurt us!"

"What gives you that idea, huh?" a voice demanded. I focused my glare at the source. It was Riku, my brother Sora's mate.

"He's been abandoned and was left in the forest for two days before I found him," I snapped. "The kid's fine. Trust my judgment."

"He's right, you know," Sora, chimed in.

"You can't doubt Roxas's judgment if he trusts something or someone," my other brother, Ventus, agreed. "If Roxas feels something is right, then we should all listen to him. After all, he's the least trusting of us here, and with good reason." Sora nodded.

"What's this about a human in the pack?" our alpha, Leon, demanded as he walked over, his mate and our mother, Cloud, following. Leon was also Sora, Ventus, and my father.

"I found this kid in the forest," I explained. "He's been abandoned, and has been out there for two whole days. He's starving, and I'm sure he needs sleep." I glanced down at Axel as he listened to our exchange silently. He gazed up at me with a fearful expression, almost as though he were expecting a beating. I had a feeling he'd been beaten before, and that just confirmed it.

"What if he turns out like all the others who have killed our kind?!" another ookami, Xemnas, barked. He was Riku's uncle, and despised humans with a passion.

"He won't, I can assure you of that," I stated in a deadly voice, fixing the older ookami with an icy glare.

"If he does, how will you deal with the problem?" Saix, a blunette and Xemnas's mate, growled.

"_We_ will deal with it accordingly," Cloud snapped, towering over Saix until he submitted to the older blonde's authority.

"Then it is decided," Leon declared. "Roxas is to raise the human, help him to understand our ways, and teach him how to survive in our pack. Anyone who so much as looks at this human or Roxas the wrong way will deal with me. Xemnas, Saix, to my den, now."

"But Leon—" Xemnas tried to protest.

"_Now_," my father barked, using his power as alpha to make the silverette and blunette submit. Xemnas and Saix hunkered down slightly, and then followed Leon to his den. Cloud, Sora, and Ventus approached in their human forms once the crowd had scattered. Sora immediately went straight up to Axel, bending down slightly and looking at Axel, the brunette's tail wagging.

"Aww, he's so cute!" my brother exclaimed. "Roxas, what's his name?"

"Ask him, he can speak for himself," I chuckled, patting Axel on the shoulder in reassurance. Looking down at him, I said, "This is my brother, Sora. The ookami that looks like me is my other brother, Ventus, but just call him Ven. And the older blonde is my mother, Cloud." I gestured to each of them as I introduced my family. "The brunette who left with the other two is our father and alpha, Leon."

"I-I'm Axel," the redhead mumbled shyly, scuffing the rocks with the toe of his shoe.

"Hey now, no need to be frightened anymore, little one," Cloud promised. "You're safe now, and no harm will come to you as long as you live with us. That we can promise you."

"Yeah, Cloud's right," Ven nodded. "And don't worry about Sora here; he's probably one of the kindest ookamis here."

"Very true!" Sora chirped. His expression and tone became more serious, though. "Just a heads up, though. I'd stay out of Riku's way if I were you. He's the smaller silverette of our pack."

"Why's that?" Axel wondered aloud, furrowing his brows in confusion.

"Because he's not too keen about humans, just like his uncle. His mother, Xemnas's sister, was killed by humans," I explained. "Xemnas was the silverette that followed Leon earlier, and Saix, his mate, was the blunette." Axel nodded in understanding.

"Anything else I should know?" he asked.

"Not for right now," I replied. "Come on, I'll take you to my den so you can sleep." I led the redheaded boy to my den, where I had him curl up in the bedding I normally sleep in.

"Where are you gonna sleep?" he questioned me.

"I'm an ookami; I can sleep next to you if you want," I offered. "After all, it's been cold out, and I'm sure you're cold, huh?"

"Yeah, a little," he admitted, shivering slightly. I chuckled and rolled my eyes at him a bit.

"Come on, curl up next to me once I shift," I told him, and then shifted into wolf form. Axel stood and waited for me to curl up in the bedding, and then he nestled himself into my side. I nuzzled his cheek before placing my tail over him. Once he was asleep, I closed my eyes and went to sleep as well.

X*X*X*X*X*X*X

When I woke up next, the redhead was still tucked into my side, sleeping. Something was wrong, though. He felt too warm to be at normal temperature. I began to lick his cheek to try and wake him, but he merely whimpered and curled into my side further. Damn, he has a fever.

I carefully got to my paws, being careful to not hurt him, and then shifted into human form before bolting to the entrance to my den. Fortunately, Ventus was outside, standing guard.

"Ven, get Zexion, quickly," I told him urgently. "It's Axel, he's got a fever." My brother nodded in understanding before taking off to get the slate-haired ookami. Zexion is our healer, and the best one ever, in my opinion. His mentor is Aerith, Leon's sister. She's let Zexion take over, but she still helps out in case there's a severe enough case or if there's too many injured ookamis for Zexion to handle alone.

Sora bounded over to me, a question in his eyes. "What's wrong, Roxas?"

"Axel has a fever," I told him quietly. "Don't tell anyone yet. I don't want them to think he's dangerous. It's gotta be from lack of food, sleep, and being out in the cold for so long."

"Makes sense," the brunette agreed. "Should I get Cloud and Leon…?"

"Only if it gets worse," I replied. "Just stay here with me for now." Sora nodded, and I went back inside to keep an eye on Axel. He whimpered in discomfort and shivered violently on the bedding, so I curled back up with him, grabbing my blanket and covering him with it. It was made of rabbit skins, so it was pretty warm.

"Roxas?" a soft voice called into my den. "Are you there?"

"Come in, Zex," I answered back. The slate-haired ookami walked in, a bag of herbs and other medicinal stuff in his hand.

"Let me look him over," Zexion said, and I moved aside so he could. After a few minutes, I finally spoke up.

"Is he gonna be okay?" I asked.

"…Yes," he told me. "It's just from lack of sleep and food, and being exposed to the cold for so long without decent protection."

"Gotcha," I murmured. "What can I do to help him get better?"

"I'm giving him some medicine to control the fever, but other than that, he'll have to sweat it out," Zexion answered. "He's going to be uncomfortable, to say the least, but just make sure he stays warm. If he begins to feel too cold, he won't get better very quickly."

"All right," I nodded. "Thank you again, Zexion."

"It's no problem," he smirked. "After all, this is my job."

"True enough. Where's Demyx, anyway?" I wondered aloud. "Usually he's, like, glued to you."

"I sent him out herb collecting with Aerith when Ventus came to find me," he explained. "I didn't need him getting in the way, you know?"

"Agreed," I chuckled. I glanced at Axel worriedly, and the slate-haired ookami noticed.

"You're awfully fond of him," he commented.

"Yeah, I am," I admitted. "But how can I not already be attached? He's practically helpless out here…"

"Not if you were to—" he started to say, but I immediately cut him off.

"I'm not going to change him, Zex," I snapped. "As much as I would love to, he knows nothing about ookamis, and would be completely confused if I did it now. Besides, he's too young for it now."

"…All right. I respect your decision," he nodded. "Just consider it when he's older."

"I will." Zexion nodded once more and then left with his things. Sighing, I shifted to wolf form and sat next to him, trying to keep the young human comfortable.

I remained by Axel's side for the next couple of days, not even leaving to eat. I didn't want to risk anyone trying to take advantage of his weakness and harm him. Even though Leon had threatened everyone in the pack that they would pay if they hurt Axel, I still doubted Xemnas, Saix, and a few others who had qualms about the young human.

There was Marluxia, a pinkette who despised humans as much as Xemnas. Larxene, his mate, shared this feeling. Naminé, Kairi, and Xion, Larxene and Marluxia's daughters, were still young enough to learn, so they weren't as bad. They were wary around him, but still curious. I had occasionally let them in since they were still pups so they could see him. They were surprised at how tall he was, which made me chuckle.

"He's so tall! How old is he?" Kairi gasped.

"I dunno yet. Never thought to ask," I smiled. I trusted the small pups, which was good. My instincts have never steered me wrong before.

"Well, can you ask him when he wakes up?" Xion asked.

"Why don't you ask him for yourself when he does?" I suggested, and she brightened.

"Okay!" Naminé chirped, and the three scampered out to tell their parents. Pausing at the entrance, she looked back at me. "Should I tell Mama and Papa about that?"

"Nah, I wouldn't," I replied. Didn't want to piss them off any more than they already are, anyway.

"All right. See you later, Roxas!" they squeaked, and then left.

There were more than them, though. Vexen and Luxord, Larxene's brothers, also hated humans. Xaldin, Xigbar, and Lexaeus, too.

Not all of the pack hates humans, however. Terra, Ven's mate, was wary, but accepting. Zexion and Demyx accepted him as part of the pack with no qualms, thankfully. Demyx easily trusts anyway, and Zexion went with my judgment. Riku still stood on the fence for me, and I couldn't tell if he wanted to harm Axel or just ignore him. I'd prefer he ignore the redhead, that way Sora doesn't lose his shit on Riku. Damn he's scary when he gets pissed…

"Mmm…" I perked my head up suddenly at the small murmur. Staring down at Axel, I realized he was waking up. I shifted back to human form so I wouldn't frighten him before crouching down on my knees.

"Axel?" I uttered, and gently placed the back of my hand on his forehead. The fever had passed, thankfully. The redhead finally opened his eyes and looked at me with his emerald eyes.

"R…Roxas?" he mumbled, his gaze bleary and confused.

"Shh, don't talk," I told him gently. "You had a bad fever, and you wouldn't wake up from it. Scared the hell out of me, ya know?"

"…Sorry…" he whispered. I brought over a stone bowl with water in it and helped him drink before speaking.

"Don't worry about it," I smiled. "As long as you're okay. I was just worried."

"Roxas?" Naminé's voice called into my den. "Roxy, are you okay? I can hear voices…"

"Yeah, I'm okay, Nam," I called back. "Come on in."

"Okay!" Naminé trotted into my den, but squeaked and jumped when she saw Axel looking at her. Her tail tucked and her ears flattened as she looked between us.

"Hey now, it's okay. He woke up just a few minutes ago," I told her. Looking back at Axel, I said, "This is Naminé, one of Marluxia and Larxene's daughters. Her sisters should be here soon."

"Yeah, Kairi and Xion are outside trying to catch up," the little blonde pup giggled. Suddenly, we heard them.

"Nam! Are you in here?" Xion shouted.

"Yep! I'm with Roxy!" she answered. The raven-haired pup and redheaded pup ran in, too, and their reactions were the same as Naminé's had been, which made me laugh.

"You didn't tell us he was awake!" Kairi squealed.

"Well, he just woke up a few minutes ago, Kairi," I pointed out. "Anyway, don't you three have a question for Axel?"

"Oh yeah! How old are you, Axel?" Xion asked him.

"Um…ten," he said, making them gape.

"How come you're so tall, then? Roxy's already 13 and you're almost as tall as he is!" Kairi yelped.

"I just am," he shrugged. I grinned and wagged my tail when I saw how comfortable the four were becoming. That is, until I heard Larxene's shriek for her pups. I winced at the pitch; I will _never_ get used to that.

"Better get going, you three, before your mother has my head for keeping you," I laughed.

"Okay, see you later, Roxy! See you, Axel!" they chimed in unison, and then scampered out in wolf form.

"That was different," Axel remarked, watching where they had disappeared to.

"Yeah, they're silly. But you can't help but love the pups," I smiled softly. "Besides, hopefully, if they can learn to trust you, then their parents will, too. It'll take time, but hopefully they will."

"Who are Larxene and Marluxia, anyway?" the redhead asked me.

"Oh, Marluxia is the only pink ookami in the pack, so he's easy to recognize. Larxene, his mate, is blonde, but has two parts of her hair that stick up a bit, kinda like a bug's antennae," I told him. "And she's a bitch. Stay out of her way if you can help it."

"Gotcha. Who else is there?" he questioned. I told him about Terra, Zexion, Demyx, Luxord, Vexen, Xigbar, Xaldin, and Lexaeus.

"Zexion and Demyx are as trustworthy as Sora and Ven, so don't hesitate to go to them if you can't find one of us. Demyx, even though he's the omega of the pack, is very protective of those he cares about," I assured him. "And Zexion is our healer. If you're ever not feeling well, go to him."

"Okay," he nodded. His stomach growled suddenly, making him blush and me laugh.

"Hungry?" I asked, chuckling. He nodded shyly, and I got up. "I get us something to eat, then. I'll even get it cooked for you, seeing as humans can't eat raw meat. Sora can keep you company until I get back."

"All right," he agreed. I stepped out, calling for Sora. When the brown wolf bounded up the rocks, I gave him a reassuring grin.

"He's better now," I told him. "Mind keeping him company while I get us some food?"

"Sure thing, Rox," he said, and went inside in human form. I left, going out to hunt for a bit in wolf form. I had caught a couple of rabbits and was about to head back when I heard it: howls and snarls coming from home.

"Shit!" I cursed, and raced back home, bringing my prey with me. I dropped them just outside the clearing before running into the clearing and spotting Xemnas and Saix trying to get past Sora and Ventus, who were standing in front of my den. I snarled and lunged when Xemnas tried to strike Sora, bowling him over and baring my teeth in his face. He snarled back, and I snapped my jaws at him. Out of nowhere, however, Saix rammed me before Demyx could stop him, and I rolled before swiftly jumping back onto my paws. My ears were flat against my head as they backed me into a corner.

"Xemnas! What is the meaning of this?!" Leon bellowed, and the pack parted to let him and Cloud in. "We talked earlier, and I warned you and Saix if you stepped over the line, I would banish you from this pack! I do not make idle threats!"

"But Leon, I—" Xemnas tried to make excuses while Saix hunkered down beside him, Cloud towering over the blunette.

"No excuses, Xemnas," Leon growled. "You and Saix are now banished from the pack." Xemnas gaped at him for a second before glaring.

"You will regret this, Leon," the silverette snapped. He looked around at the pack. "Anyone who wishes to follow me as their alpha, join us. We will not allow humans in our pack." There was silence, and then Vexen, Luxord, Lexaeus, Xaldin, and Xigbar stepped forward. A brief pause, and then Larxene moved forward.

"I'm following Xemnas," she stated coolly, and looked at Marluxia meaningfully. He remained where he was.

"I'm not going, Larxene," he told her. "The pups are happy here, and I'm not going to risk their lives for our happiness."

"Fine," she spat. "Be that way." She strode over to Xemnas and Saix, along with the others that were choosing to follow.

"Riku? Surely you would choose to follow your uncle," Xemnas said to his nephew.

"…You tried to attack Sora," Riku growled. "All because he wouldn't let you kill a human. Sora is my mate, and I will _never_ abandon him. You're on your own." Xemnas glared before turning and leaving with his new pack in silence.

A/N: Wow, long chapter. I got more to come, though!


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: And now, on to chapter 2! Enjoy~

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the story.

Wolves At Heart

Chapter 2

We stared after Xemnas's new pack as they left, and once they were gone, Marluxia approached me.

"I'm sorry about Larxene," he apologized. "I didn't think she would join them."

"It's not your fault, Marluxia," I assured him. "Just keep the girls happy."

"I will," he promised with a small smile, and went back to the den he used to share with Larxene. Riku walked up to me as well once the pinkette was gone.

"I never thought he would go that far," he murmured. "Sorry, Roxas…"

"It'll be okay," I told him. "I'm just glad he didn't hurt Sora."

"You're right," the silverette nodded. He left to check on my brother, who was trembling slightly from the fear he had felt when Xemnas had tried to attack him. I knew Riku could handle it, so I went over to Ven, who was standing with Terra. The large brown ookami rumbled a noise of approval in his chest, nodding to me before nuzzling my identical brother.

"Thanks for protecting Axel, Ven," I said gratefully. He dipped his head in response, acknowledging my words. I then went inside, where I found Axel quivering with fear on the bedding. "Hey, are you okay?" I asked, shifting back to human form.

"I…I think so…" he answered nervously.

"Don't worry, they're all gone now," I told him. "Xemnas, Saix, and all the others who hate humans have left the pack. Marluxia and the pups stayed, and I think he's starting to understand. Riku hates Xemnas now for trying to hurt Sora, so he accepts you as part of our family now."

"Really?" Axel questioned, his eyes widening in shock.

"Yup," I nodded. I suddenly remembered the rabbits I had left by the clearing, so I said, "Hang on for a moment." I quickly slipped back out and picked them up before returning. "Let's get a fire going, shall we?"

"Yeah, I'm starving," he agreed with a small smile. We started a small fire in my den, and then cooked the rabbits before eating.

"You've eaten rabbit before, right?" I asked him.

"Yeah, when I would be allowed to eat," he admitted, lowering his gaze.

"I'm guessing you were abused by your parents, weren't you?" I assumed.

"…Yes," Axel whispered, starting to shake slightly. I placed my rabbit on the ground before going over to him and wrapping my arms around him comfortingly.

"Shh," I soothed. "You're safe here, and will never have to worry about being beaten again. I promise. We'll all keep you safe."

"Thank you," he mumbled, hugging me back and sniffling. How I had gotten so attached to a human in such a short amount of time, even I have no clue, but hey, I'll roll with it.

Once the Axel calmed down enough, I got him to eat as much as he could before he got sleepy. He barely managed to eat the whole thing, and then he yawned widely.

"Tired again, huh?" I chuckled, and he nodded, blushing. "All right, I gotcha. Let's get some shuteye, okay?" I shifted to wolf form before lying down on the bedding and having the redhead curl into my side. Placing my tail over him, I waited until he was asleep before lowering my head and going to sleep as well.

X*X(8 Years Later)X*X

It's been eight years since Xemnas had been banished and left with about half of our pack. Axel had grown much taller over the years, and had become definitely taller than me. Even though I was five years older, I hadn't grown much myself. Maybe a few inches, but that's it. I tried not to let it get to me if he teased me about it, but sometimes the remarks do get under my skin. Axel knows when to stop, though, thankfully. We had truly gotten to know each other well over the years, thanks to our close friendship.

Naminé, Kairi, and Xion and also grown over the past eight years. They were almost my height back when I was 13, so they were nearly full-grown. They also were becoming very skilled in different things. Naminé had become Zexion's apprentice in healing, Kairi became a great hunter, and Xion was now a great fighter. Marluxia took great pride in his daughters, and rarely ever mentioned Larxene. No one ever brought up the subject, which was good; we didn't want to hurt him, after all.

Now, even though Axel and I can read each other well, I can tell something has been different with him lately. He's completely fine one moment, but after being with me for a while, he gets antsy and leaves for a bit. I was kinda confused by it, I'll be honest. I decided to ask Leon and Cloud about it sometime if it gets worse.

"Roxas?" My ears twitched at the call of my name. Inhaling deeply, I caught Sora's and Ventus's scents behind me.

"Hey guys," I greeted, turning from watching the full moon to face them. "What's up?"

"Axel's been looking for you," Sora told me.

"He says he wants to ask you something," Ven added.

"Okay, I'll see him," I nodded. "Is he in my den?"

"Yeah, he's waiting for you," the brunette confirmed.

"Cool, thanks," I smiled slightly, and climbed down the rocks to go to my den, calling a quick goodnight to my brothers. When I shifted back to human form, I went into my den to see Axel sitting in the bedding, waiting for me. Over the years, two teardrop-shaped markings had formed on his cheekbones, one beneath each eye. It honestly made him more handsome, in my opinion. If I ever change him, which I'm still uncertain of, he'll be mine.

"Oh, hey Roxas," he greeted when he noticed me.

"Is something on your mind, Axel?" I asked, tilting my head in concern. I could tell something was bothering him, but I wasn't sure what exactly it was.

"You could say that," he replied. I nodded in encouragement, and he asked, "How did the ookamis become what they are today?"

"Oh, you want to hear that story?" I guessed. He nodded, and I sat beside him. "All right, I'll tell you the story. It's kinda weird, though, but I guess it makes sense."

"How is it weird?"

"You'll see. Anyway, our kind began when a werewolf man fell in love with a human woman. Werewolves were common all those years ago, but obviously hated for being able to infect other humans through their bite and for killing anything they wanted. But the woman didn't care. She loved the werewolf, even though he was a monster to others. The amazing part was, even though when they become the wolf under the full moon, they become killing machines, yet he never dared to harm her while in the wolf form. It was as though he was tame.

"They became married, and had eight children, all of which carried the werewolf part in them, but not all of them reacted from it. Only about half of them did, and those that did fled into the forest, mating with wild wolves and creating ookamis. These pups retained more wolf than human, hence the wolf traits we have when we're in human form."

"So…how did the whole thing of male-wolf-mated-pairs-having-pups thing come about?" Axel asked.

"Ah, well, apparently the werewolf who started the whole thing was a bearer. So he could have been gay, and still had the same results," I explained. "As long as he was on bottom, anyway," I added, chuckling at his blush.

"Wow…" he murmured after a few moments.

"Let's go to sleep, all right? I'm tired, and I'm sure you are, too," I pointed out, and he nodded in agreement. I shifted, and let him curl into my side. Lowering my head, I closed my eyes. Right before I fell asleep, though, I heard him whisper something.

"I wish I was an ookami," were his words. Okay, that did it. My indecision over changing Axel was gone. I'm going to change him, but I need to ask Leon and Cloud first. Shortly after I thought that, he fell asleep, so I decided to wait for a bit before carefully getting up, making sure not to wake him. When I was sure he wouldn't wake up, I silently padded out to the clearing, and then climbed up to my parents' den.

"Cloud? Leon?" I called softly, and then my father's voice answered.

"Come in, Roxas." I entered their den, and sat down before them. The golden blonde wolf and dark brown wolf were lying down in their shared bedding.

"What's wrong, Roxas? Normally you'd be sleeping by now," Cloud said.

"I have a request," I told them.

"And that would be…?" Leon trailed off, waiting for me to speak.

"I wish to change Axel," I stated. Leon watched me, as though searching for something, as did Cloud. "He wishes to be an ookami, and I've been considering it ever since I found him, and…yeah."

"Is that all?" Leon asked.

"I…think I love him," I murmured. My parents exchanged similar looks, ones that I couldn't identify, and then looked back at me.

"What makes you think that?" Cloud questioned.

"Lately, I've been thinking about him differently," I began. "Whenever we talk, I feel something like a fluttering in my stomach and chest, and when we're together for while, he starts to get antsy, like he's getting uncomfortable. It's almost as though it hurts that we're not together. That's the feeling I get, anyway."

"…Then you two are meant for each other," Leon smirked.

"What?"

"He's obviously wanted to be with you as more than friends for a while now, and by the sound of it, so have you, but you've not been as aware as Axel has been," Cloud explained.

"So…I'm allowed to change him?" I asked eagerly, my tail wagging. Both of my parents chuckled.

"Of course, I see no reason why not," Leon nodded.

"Thank you so much!" I yipped, and they got up, nuzzling me fondly.

"You're welcome, Roxas," Cloud smiled. "Just make sure to tell him in the morning before you change him."

"I promise," I agreed, and left, hurrying back to my den and curling back up with Axel before closing my eyes and falling asleep.

X*X*X*X*X*X*X

When I woke up, it was still early. The sun's morning light was extremely faint in my den, so it had barely risen. I felt Axel shift next to me as I raised my head, yawning widely. Licking his cheek gently to wake him, I rumbled a greeting sound to him as he woke before carefully standing, then shifting back to human form.

"Morning, Axel," I greeted.

"Good morning, Roxas," he mumbled back tiredly. "How'd you sleep?"

"I slept great, considering today is a special day," I grinned. He looked at me, furrowing his brows in confusion.

"Why's that?"

"I heard you last night before you went to sleep," I stated, sitting down next to him, and the redhead stared at me, uncertain of how to react. "I can make it possible, you know."

"Wait, what?" he uttered.

"I spoke with Leon and Cloud last night, and they approve of me changing you into an ookami," I explained.

"How can you do that?" he asked.

"How do you think werewolves changed humans into werewolves in the past, silly?" I laughed lightly.

"I thought you had to be born an ookami," he said.

"Well, I was, just like Sora, Ven, Naminé, Kairi, Xion, and Riku, but some of us were changed," I told him.

"Then change me, please!" he begged.

"I'm gonna, hold your horses!" I laughed. "I just want to know one thing first, though."

"What's that?"

"Are you in love with me?"

"…"

"Axel, you've been behaving differently around only me, and I'm not the only one that's noticed. Leon and Cloud could tell, too," I said. Lowering my ears and tail, though, I asked, "Unless we were wrong…" I was shocked when he kissed me on the lips, shyly, but he kissed me all the same.

"Does that answer your question?" the redhead asked, blushing. Smirking, I leaned forward and kissed him, gently.

"Yeah, it does," I replied. Frowning, I asked, "Are you ready to be changed? Because I've heard it hurts a lot, and it's not a swift process. Probably two days at the fastest."

"Yes, anything to be with you, Roxas," Axel answered seriously.

"Okay," I nodded, and leaned over to him, placing my mouth over the side of his neck. I kissed his neck softly before biting hard enough to break the skin, and he hissed from the sudden pain. After a few moments, he fell over, crying out from the changing. "Axel!" I yelped, and scrambled over to him, trying to keep him still so he wouldn't hurt himself more.

"It's going to be a long process," Terra's voice said from behind me. I looked up sharply, seeing him and Ven walking in. "We overheard you, Cloud, and Leon last night while we were going to sleep. Remember, I was changed, not born an ookami, so I can empathize."

"…Is there any possibility that it can kill him?" I asked softly.

"No," the brunette shook his head. "Remember, the change can't kill. After all, it's meant to help repopulate, not kill."

"Is there anything I can do to help him or ease the pain?" I questioned, looking back down at him as he shuddered violently, clenching his teeth against the pain.

"Unfortunately, no," Terra answered. "He'll have to do this on his own. As long as you stay with him, though, I'm sure that'll help."

"Thanks, Terra," I told him gratefully. "It helps to kinda know what to expect."

"See, Roxas? I knew Terra was the right one for me, and he's helpful, too," Ven chuckled.

"Yeah, and Zexion was right, too," I murmured.

"What do you mean?" the blonde asked.

"Back when Axel had that fever, he told me I should consider changing him," I explained. "I didn't consider it then, but I have been for a while now, and I'm glad I did."

"Why didn't you do it back then?" my brother questioned.

"Because he was still too young, and I didn't want to scare him," I answered. "He knew barely anything about ookamis back then, and he would have been scared as hell."

"Gotcha," Ven nodded. Terra decided to change the subject.

"You hungry, Roxas? If so, we'll get you something to eat," he offered.

"Not really…" I mumbled, looking back at Axel.

"All right, howl if you need us, okay?" Ven said, and the pair left. I focused on holding his hand tightly, trying to keep myself sane. _Please, please don't have anything go wrong…_ I thought to myself.

A/N: And there's the next chapter! I know this one's shorter, but I wanted to end it there. Besides, the next chapter will be awesome, I know it! R&R, peeps!


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: And now for Axel's change! Will he be okay…? Read to find out, peoples! Also, I discovered a typo in the last chapter thanks to a review, and I had it set in my head that Axel was 8 years old, while Roxas was 13. Sorry about that guys! Axel is now 18, though, and Roxas is 21. Enjoy~

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the story.

Wolves At Heart

Chapter 3

Two whole days had passed, and Axel had barely moved except for his rapid breathing and occasional groans from the agony his body was being wracked with from the change. I felt awful for being the cause of this for my redhead, but I knew it was for the best. He would be okay; Terra had assured me of that. His heart was beating rapidly from the pain, and I could hear each beat it made.

Suddenly, his heart's pace began to slow, and I gasped quietly, looking sharply at him. I gave a soft whine, my ears folding back worriedly. His breathing began to slow and deepen, and then his body began to change. I quickly stood, shifting into wolf form and standing in a cautious manner near him, watching him. Once Axel had shifted into a full wolf, his brilliant green eyes opened up, gazing at me.

"Axel?" I whispered, approaching slowly. He continued to watch me, and then I got close enough to touch him with my nose. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, just tired," he mumbled. I realized his spiked hair and teardrop-shaped markings under his eyes had even carried over into his wolf self somewhat. "Why?"

"Do you feel…different?" I asked.

"Kinda…it's hard to explain, though," he answered.

"I know the feeling," I chuckled softly. "But the change is complete. You're an ookami now."

"Seriously?" he yelped, and I motioned for him to look at himself. He did so, and yelped again when he realized he was now a bright red wolf. "Holy shit!" I outright laughed at his reaction.

"Try getting up," I suggested, and he struggled to stand, having a hard time trying to figure out how to place his paws. I chuckled softly once he was standing, and then said, "All right, let's try getting you to walk."

"Fuck, Roxas, I dunno…" he trailed off, uncertain. I nudged him forward with my nose, and he stumbled a bit.

"Look, you'll be fine. Just don't over think it," I advised. He nodded in understanding, and then took an unsteady step forward. Sighing, I went to stand next to him. "Copy my movements," I instructed. I moved my paws and had him copy me until he was walking okay.

"Damn, this is different," he grumbled.

"You'll have to get used to it," I shrugged, twitching my ears. "After all, you're an ookami now."

"True enough," he agreed with a grin. I trotted to the entrance to my den, leading Axel over, and he followed me without difficulty. My tail was wagging as I went outside, and Axel clambered down the rocks, struggling a bit, but he managed. Everyone noticed the noise he made, and quickly swarmed around us excitedly.

"He's finally a true ookami, eh?" Marluxia laughed. He had definitely warmed up to Axel over the years.

"Yeah, I'm gonna take him out for his first run," I laughed, my tail wagging even faster.

"It's good to see you finally have your mate, Roxas," Zexion said softly. "I knew you would go through with it."

"This is great!" Demyx yipped. "I finally have a fishing buddy!"

"Dem, he still hates water, remember?" Xion pointed out, cuffing him gently over the ear.

"It's good to know he's official," Kairi grinned.

"I'm so happy for you, Rox!" Sora cheered, hopping over to me. Riku trailed behind him, a faint smile on his lips.

"Wasn't too bad, now was it?" Terra said as Ven laughed.

"It was bearable, let's just go with that," Axel told him. I nuzzled him lovingly. Leon and Cloud watched happily from where they stood, and I grinned at them.

"Let's go for our run," I told Axel, and he nodded. The pack split apart for us, letting us through to the forest, and then I took off at a brisk walk as soon as we hit the tree line.

"Where exactly are we going, Roxas?" my redhead asked as I let him catch up. I shook out my fur slightly before answering.

"We're going to the river," I said, and then took off running. Axel yelped before pursuing me, barely managing to catch up to me. I laughed joyously, reveling in the feeling of my new mate and being able to run with him like this. Axel laughed as well, seeming happy that I was happy.

Finally, we reached the river, where I carefully slowed to a stop, and Axel kind of just skidded past me, nearly falling into the fast-flowing water.

"Hah! Don't fall in, love, or else you'll get soaked," I teased.

"Don't remind me," he grumbled, coming back over to me. I licked his cheek and then skipped back, a playful light in my eyes, and he watched me with interest. "What are you doing?" he asked suspiciously.

"What do you think?" I retorted, coming back over and nuzzling him. He sighed happily.

"You have no idea how long I've wanted this, Rox," he murmured as we pressed against each other.

"I think I do," I replied. "I could tell something was off with you, and the fact that I heard your wish kinda hit it home, ya know?"

"True," was all he said, and we sat down together. A sudden thought popped into my head, and I stood up, being careful to not let him fall over.

"Let's watch the sunset together," I told him. "Come on, follow me. I know the perfect place." I took off running again, the redhead close behind me, and we soon reached a hill covered in tall pine trees. Shifting back to human form, I said, "We gotta climb for the best view." He gave me a blank look.

"How do I shift back?"

"Remember what it's like to be human," I answered easily. Axel nodded before shifting back to his own human form. His ears and tail remained, which was to be expected of his new ookami self. My redhead followed me up, and soon enough, we reached the top, where there was an excellent view of the sunset.

"Whoa…" Axel murmured, amazed as we sat down on a thick branch together. The sun was setting on the horizon, bathing everything in a deep, red glow. Axel watched, stunned, and I wrapped my arm around his waist, pulling him closer, and rested my head on his arm. He rested his chin on my head in response, and we sighed happily.

"Axel?" I said, looking up at him once the sun had set completely.

"Yeah?"

"I love you."

"I love you, too, Rox," he told me, smiling down at me. I looked about, realizing how late it was, and regretfully pulled away so I could climb back down.

"Come on, let's go home," I told him. "Everyone's probably waiting for us." He nodded as we shifted back to wolf form, and when we got back to the clearing, everyone was indeed waiting for us.

"How was it?" Riku asked my redhead.

"Different, but amazing," Axel answered. "I love this."

"As you should," Leon said.

"After all, you can never become completely human again," Cloud added. Axel nodded in understanding, and then my mother motioned for me to go over to him and Leon.

"Go ahead to the den, Axel," I said. "I'll be there soon."

"Okay," he agreed, and climbed up the rocks to our den, where he vanished. I followed my parents into their den, and then Leon and Cloud turned to me once they shifted back to human form. I copied them and sat down in front of them.

"So, what's up?" I asked, tilting my head and folding back one ear.

"As happy as we are that you and Axel are mates now, we need to warn you of something," Leon began. I furrowed my brows, confused.

"And that would be…?"

"Now that Axel is changed, even though you are both males, you and Axel both have the bearing gene," Cloud said.

"It's because you changed him, and since it was you who changed him, that means you will be the father of any pups you both have," the brunette told me.

"Also, because he was just changed, he will be going into heat soon. Within the next day or two, actually," the blonde added. "It happened with me when your father changed me."

"Seriously?!" I yelped. "What should I expect?"

"Only you will be able to detect the changes, seeing as he's your mate," Leon stated. "You will notice a powerful, erotic scent coming from him, and it will feel almost overwhelming. It will trigger your desire to mate, and basically, you'll want him as soon as it happens."

"O-oh…" I uttered, blushing a bit. Shit, that fast? Wow…

"You won't be the only one to feel something, though," Cloud assured me. "Axel will feel really warm and only mating will stop the sensation. The heat lasts until you've mated with each other, and then he'll either become pregnant, or it will happen again in a couple more months."

"I don't want anything to happen while here, though!" I protested. "Is it possible there's another place we can do this when it does? Because I'd rather the rest of the pack not hear us."

"You'll be fine," Leon assured me with a chuckle. "There's a private den meant for mating near the waterfall, and you two can go there tomorrow. Stay there until you're finished, though, because you're right; I'd rather not hear my son having his way with his mate." I felt my face heat up brightly at the thought. They shared a few more things with me, making my face practically burn, before my mother ended it.

"That was all we wanted to tell you," Cloud said. "Now go to Axel; I'm sure he's waiting for you."

"All right, thanks," I muttered, still blushing, and quickly ducked out of their den. I shifted back to wolf form and trotted back to the den Axel and I shared. When I ducked inside, I was greeted by my redheaded mate nuzzling me as I approached. "Someone's affectionate," I teased.

"Can you blame me? I'm finally an ookami, and with you, and it's all thanks to you," he murmured. I licked his cheek affectionately.

"No, I don't blame you. Now come on, let's go to sleep," I smiled softly, and we curled up together on the bedding, side by side. We nuzzled each other before closing our eyes and falling asleep.

X*X*X*X*X*X*X

I woke up in the middle of the night to Axel shifting uncomfortably beside me, panting as though he were trying to cool off. Sniffing the air a bit, I detected an erotic scent coming from him. I felt the blood rush from my face, and I quickly got to my paws, practically freaking out on the inside. Shit, he's in heat!

"Roxas…?" Axel mumbled, waking up.

"Hey, are you okay?" I asked worriedly. "You're squirming a lot."

"No, I feel really warm…" he said softly.

"Come on, I know a place you can cool off at," I suggested, and silently led him out of our den, out of the clearing, and off to the waterfall. Cloud and Leon told me the mating place was somewhere near there, so I'm assuming behind the waterfall itself. We soon reached the area, and I led my mate to the edge of the water. "Follow me." I stepped into the water, shivering slightly at the cold.

"Are you sure about this, Rox?" Axel questioned.

"Yeah, just get in. You want to cool off, right?" I said. He nodded. "Then get in." Axel tentatively slid into the cool water, but didn't seem to feel any different.

"I'm still burning up, Roxas," he told me.

"I know, I know. It'll be over soon, I promise," I assured him. I led him behind the waterfall, where an open cave with a large amount of bedding was. Axel looked around, confused.

"Why are we here?" he asked.

"I hate to tell you this, Axe, but you're in heat," I informed him. He gaped at me.

"Wait…what?!" he yelped.

"That's why you're burning up. And the only way to stop it is to mate," I explained. "Fuck, your scent is driving my crazy!" I whined.

"What?"

"It's the scent of your heat. I'm the only one affected by it because we're mates. Seriously though, shift to human form, now," I ordered hurriedly. He looked nervous, but did as I asked. I shifted as well, and then kissed him hotly. He kissed me back just as passionately. I traced the tip of my tongue along his bottom lip, making him gasp into my mouth, and I immediately slipped my tongue into his mouth. The redhead moaned into my mouth as I explored his moist cavern. Our tongues danced with each other, fighting for dominance, but I won. When we parted for air, the both of us were breathing heavily.

"You're gonna fuck me, aren't you," Axel stated rather than asked.

"Yup," I smirked. "I changed you, so you're mine."

"Fuck…" he grumbled, but it changed to a moan as I palmed his semi-erection through his pants. See, even though we're ookamis, we still wear clothes when human. Fortunately, they stay with us when we shift into wolves. The males only wear pants, while the females wear some sort of top and pants.

"Just shut up and let me, would ya?" I growled, nipping at his neck and carefully lowering him onto the bedding. "I'm topping, whether you like it or not. You're the one in heat, not me, dumbass."

"Shut up!" he snapped, flushing a bright red. He tried to cover his face, but I tugged his hands away and pinned them to his sides.

"Don't hide your face from me. You're too hot for that," I practically purred. I nipped, licked, and sucked at various spots on his neck and collarbone, making him shiver and moan.

"Damn it, hurry up," he groaned.

"You really want me to fuck you, huh?" I snickered. Axel growled and kissed me hard, taking me by surprise, and I responded in kind. He fought me futilely, seeing as I won that one, again. I tugged at his pants, beginning to pull them down. When my fingers brushed against his hip, however, he pulled away, gasping for air.

Smirking again, I ground myself against him, causing him to moan and successfully distracting him. I was now going on instinct, being driven by that powerful, erotic scent coming from my mate. Swiftly, I yanked off my own pants, and then kissed my redhead deeply. Axel responded impatiently, nipping at my lips. I could tell he was ready for this.

Placing three fingers to his lips, I ordered, "Suck." He complied, slicking up the digits with a thorough coating of saliva. As soon as I felt it was enough, I pulled my fingers out of his mouth and stuck one into him. He yelped in shock at the sudden intrusion.

"What the hell?!" he gasped.

"I'm prepping you, duh," I stated. Once he had adjusted to the first one, I slipped in the second, making him whine softly, and his ears folding back. "Relax, it'll only hurt worse if you don't."

"Easier said than done when you have two fingers in your ass," he grumbled. "Wait…how do you know that?"

"Cloud and Leon told me, love," I answered easily. "That's how I knew you were in heat. They told me what to do, what to expect, and how to get to this cave." Axel rolled his eyes at that, but moaned loudly as I brushed my fingers against something within him. I grinned as I realized I had found his prostate. I quickly slid in the third finger, scissoring and stretching him so it wouldn't hurt as much. As soon as he was literally trying to fuck himself with my fingers, I withdrew them, making him whimper at the loss. Yanking off my pants, I smirked when he saw my member.

"Bigger than you thought, huh?" I teased. "Not everything about me is small, ya know."

"Shut the hell up, Roxas, and fuck me already!" he yelled, and I laughed.

Carefully, I positioned myself at Axel's entrance. "Ready?" I whispered, and he nodded. I began to press into him, trying not to hurt my mate. I paused when he gave a loud whimper, and then continued when he quieted down. Soon enough, I was sheathed to the hilt, so I waited for him to adjust to my length before moving.

"F-fucking hell, Rox, m-move already!" he stuttered, and I gave a wolfish grin.

"Gladly." I began to move slowly, teasingly, giving small thrusts. My tail wagged a bit as I moved, but soon stilled. After a few minutes of this, Axel spoke up.

"Dammit, Roxas, if you don't go faster, I'll—" he began to say, but howled with ecstasy when I quickly slammed into him, hitting his prostate hard.

"You were saying?" I breathed into his fuzzy red ear. I nibbled on the tip gently before beginning to pound into him. He didn't say anything, just gripped my back tighter and moaned as I thrust, digging his nails into my skin. I hissed at the sting, but didn't break the rhythm I had going. I reached in between us and began to stroke at the redhead's neglected member, causing him to cry out.

"R-Roxas…I-I'm gonna—" Axel began to say, but couldn't finish as he howled when he suddenly came, his cum splashing against our stomachs. I bit down on my love's collarbone as I approached my end, but when he came, his walls tightened around me, and I groaned as I came inside of him. I thrust my spilling seed into him, making him moan. Carefully, I pulled out, and then collapsed next to him on the bedding.

"That was…better than I…thought it would be," I panted as we looked at each other. Axel smiled slightly, still out of breath.

"Yeah, I never thought I would be bottom, but I gotta admit you're good, Rox," he told me.

"Duh, I gotta be," I snorted. "If I'm gonna be the top, I gotta be good. Especially to pleasure my mate." I gave a wolfish grin, and he rolled his eyes as a light dusting of pink appeared on his cheeks.

"Shut up," he muttered. I kissed him lightly on the lips, and then pulled away, laughing.

"You know I'm right," I chuckled.

"Whatever," the redhead grumbled. He then yawned widely, and I knew then that he was pretty tired.

"Let's go to sleep," I suggested, and we cuddled close together before murmuring our goodnights.

"I love you, Roxas," he whispered.

"Love you, too, Axel," I murmured back. And with that, we fell asleep together.

A/N: And there's your lemon! R&R, peeps!


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Now, Axel's heat is over, but is he out of the woods just yet? You shall find out if you read… P.S. a wolf's gestation period is a bit over 2 months, about 63 days, I think. Enjoy~

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the story.

Wolves At Heart

Chapter 4

X*X(2 Weeks Later)X*X

I was fast asleep, sleeping peacefully back in our den at home with my mate, when I suddenly felt him get up and bolt outside. I raised my head, my ears going flat, and followed Axel worriedly. It was when I heard him retching in human form that I shifted back and approached him. He had been throwing up for the past few days in the early morning, and I had no idea why.

"Axel…? Are you okay?" I asked softly. He finally answered when he spat out the last of the bile in his mouth.

"N-no," he stuttered, his voice rough from the vomiting. "I need to see Zexion or Aerith, now." I nodded, and helped him over to Aerith's den. She has more experience, so I wanted her to check my love. When we reached the entrance to her den, I called for her.

"Aerith?" There was a small yawn, and then a shuffling as she got to her paws.

"Roxas? Axel? What's wrong?" she asked, yawning after she spoke.

"Axel's been throwing up for the past few mornings, and I don't know why," I told her.

"…When did you two mate?" she asked after a moment of thought.

"Two weeks ago," I answered. I caught on to what she was insinuating, and gasped, "Axel's pregnant, isn't he?" Axel stiffened slightly at my guess.

"Yes, it appears that's the case," she nodded. "I'll check on him later, but for now, both of you go back to sleep, he's going to need it."

"Thanks, Aerith," I said, and helped Axel back to our den. I laid him down on the bedding, where he curled up into a ball on his side and stared at the wall. "Axel…?"

"I'm seriously pregnant, Roxas?" the redhead mumbled. I lay down next to him so I was facing him and stroked his face gently.

"Yes, but what's bothering you about it?" I asked. "We're going to be parents. Aren't you happy about that?"

"I…I don't know what to think," he whispered. I hugged him close, stroking lightly and comfortingly at his red spikes.

"You should be happy," I murmured into his ear. "We're going to have pups. You know how happy Marluxia is with his daughters, and I want that for us, too." The redhead looked at me with tears in his gorgeous emerald eyes, and I kissed him lightly.

"I know, I know…I'm just scared, though, Rox…" he sighed.

"Don't be," I told him. "You've got a whole pack looking out for you, and you have me to support, love, and care about you."

"…Thank you," he breathed.

"It's nothing," I promised, my tail wagging slightly, thumping the ground with each wag. "I'll always be here for you; you should know that by now. I just can't wait for them to be born."

"Neither can I, just so I stop throwing up so much," he replied.

"Eh, it'll go away soon enough," Cloud's voice said from the entrance to our den.

"Mom? What are you doing here?" I asked, surprised. He walked in and sat down near us in his human form.

"Aerith shared with me that Axel is pregnant," he explained. "She wanted me to speak with you two about what to expect."

"What's going to happen with me, Cloud?" Axel asked him.

"Well, you're obviously going to have weight gain, and in another week or two, you'll feel them moving and/or kicking inside of you," the older blonde told him. "When it comes time to give birth to them, you'll feel a lot of abdominal pain, but when it does, you'll need to have Zexion, Aerith, and Naminé help you. Since we don't know how many pups you're going to have, we'll need all the help we can get."

"No problem, I understand," my redhead nodded. "Thank you, Cloud. That really helps."

"You're welcome, Axel. Anything for the newest parents-to-be of our pack," my mom chuckled, making us blush a bit. "Anyway, get some sleep, Axel. Leon and I will let everyone else know."

"I will. Thanks again, Cloud," Axel told him gratefully.

"Yeah, thanks, Mom," I agreed, and Cloud nodded to us with a smile before leaving, his blonde tail wagging. Once he was gone, I whispered to Axel, "He's happy he's gonna be a grandmother."

"Looks like it," he laughed lightly. I kissed him on the lips gently before pulling back and sighing happily.

"I can't believe we're going to be parents," I admitted. "Never thought it would happen, but I'm glad it is."

"Same here, Rox, same here," Axel agreed. We then shifted to our respective wolf forms and fell asleep together, content.

X*X*X*X*X*X*X

A sudden small amount clattering and scrabbling woke me later on when it was nighttime again, and I raised my head, my ears flattened against my head warily. I narrowed my deep blue eyes with suspicion before silently getting to my paws to investigate. Axel followed me, also in his wolf form, equally as silent. As we got close, I sniffed quietly, catching the scent of an intruder in my nostrils. Baring my fangs, I crept closer to the entrance to my den. I was shocked to see Vexen creeping through the clearing, looking about as though searching for something. What the hell was he doing here? He's part of Xemnas's pack, and we hadn't seen or heard from them since they had left.

"Vexen!" I barked, and the icy blonde froze, and then slowly looked at me in fear. He noticed Axel standing beside me, and immediately put two and two together.

"Why, Roxas! It's a pleasure to see you and Axel, who is now one of us," he said, trying to be pleasant.

"It's not so pleasurable to see you, Vexen," I growled. "Why are you here?"

"Oh, no reason," he shrugged as he tried to leave, but I bounded down and pinned him before he could flee.

"Axel, summon the pack, now," I ordered, and my mate nodded right before he threw his head back and howled. "You're going to pay, Vexen, for trying to sneak in here. Obviously you have a motive. You wouldn't be here without a reason." He whimpered as he struggled to escape.

"Please! I wasn't going to hurt anyone, I swear!" he begged, but I placed a paw on his throat, silencing him.

"Shut up. Wait until the pack arrives," I snapped. When Axel finished his howl, the pack emerged from their dens, looking to see what all the commotion was about. Everyone approached, and those who could see what was going on gasped.

"Uncle Vexen?!" Kairi, Naminé, and Xion yelped. "What are you doing here?"

"That's a very good question, girls, and one I would like the answer for," Leon said as he joined us. "Answer me, Vexen. Why are you here? We haven't seen or heard from your pack since you left with Xemnas and Saix eight years ago."

"…" The icy blonde clammed up, not saying a word. My father looked at me and nodded, so I bit down on Vexen's front left leg, hard. He screamed in pain before shrieking, "Xemnas sent me to spy on everyone! He's going to invade in one month!"

"Release him, Roxas," Leon ordered, and I obeyed, letting go of Vexen's leg. "Good boy, Vexen. Now, we can't have you crawling back and reporting to Xemnas, can we?"

"I won't squeal, I promise! I swear! Don't kill me, _please_!" he pleaded, but Leon ignored him, reaching past me and stepping on Vexen's throat.

"Silence. I don't trust you to not report back," the brunette snarled. He then quickly bit down on Vexen's jugular, killing him instantly. My father then pulled back, his ears flattened against his head, and looked at all of us. "Everyone is to be on their top guard now. I don't want to risk Xemnas taking advantage of us, so everyone is to increase their training, and I want two ookamis on patrol every night, and then they will switch with another pair after midnight. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, Leon," we all agreed.

"Dismissed. Roxas, Axel. Come with me. I want to see you in my den," he ordered. My mate and I nodded, and we followed Leon and Cloud to their den. Once the four of us were inside, my parents turned to Axel and me.

"Good job in catching Vexen. We all know how fast he is to flee when caught or scared," Cloud praised. "What made you notice him?"

"I heard clattering and scrabbling from him climbing down the rocks," I answered. "Axel noticed me wake up, so he followed."

"Cloud's right. Great job in noticing and catching him," Leon agreed. "Now, I want you, Roxas, to take some of these night guard shifts for the next couple of weeks. You obviously won't be alone. I'll pair you with Riku. I know you two aren't always cooperative, but this should be a good chance for the both of you to earn the other's trust. Axel, I don't want you taking any night shifts due to your pregnancy. You need to stay healthy, and late nights won't help you at all. We'll train you in combat, however, if you wish."

"I do. I don't want to be helpless," Axel nodded firmly. "I want to be of some use besides having pups…"

"No worries, Axel, we'll have Terra train you," Cloud assured him. "We'll start tomorrow. It's late, and I'm sure everyone else is asleep by now, so we'll start training and guard watches tomorrow."

"Yes, Cloud," we nodded.

"Dismissed. Go get some sleep, you two," Leon smiled softly. We nodded again and then left, finding Sora and Ven standing near our den, waiting for us.

"Hey guys, what's up?" I asked as we approached.

"Just wanted to check in with you both and see if you were okay, especially Axel," Sora grinned.

"That and we overheard your guys' conversation with Mom and Dad," Ven admitted, smiling sheepishly.

"So you'll be patrolling with Riku, huh?" the brunette said to me.

"Sounds like it," I shrugged. "But no worries, I'll be able to hold my own."

"Dad's right, though," Ven told me. "You and Riku need to earn each other's trust more."

"Whatever…it'll happen," I muttered. "Anyway, where are Riku and Terra?"

"Waiting for us. They knew we wanted to see you two before you went back to your den for the night," Sora answered.

"Yeah, and to say congratulations about the pups," Ven smirked. Axel ducked his head slightly, embarrassed, and my brothers chuckled.

"Nothing to be shy about, Axel," Sora assured him. "Riku and I are going to be parents one day, too!"

"Wait, you're pregnant, Sor?" I asked, and we all looked at him.

"Um…yeah," he mumbled shyly. "I'm only a week along…"

"I never noticed! Why didn't you say anything sooner?" Ven demanded.

"I didn't realize I was until Axel's pregnancy was announced," my brunette brother admitted.

"Does Riku know?" Axel asked.

"I do now," Riku said as he approached.

"Riku!" Sora yelped, blushing brightly as the silver wolf joined us.

"When were you going to tell me, Sora?" he questioned his mate.

"I was gonna tell you soon, I promise," Sora murmured. "Sorry, Ri…"

"It's okay, Sora, I'm just glad I now know. Now we can tell your parents, and you won't have to do any night patrols," Riku promised.

"Thanks, Riku," the brunette told him.

"All right, let's get back to our den. You need sleep, as do Roxas, Axel, and Ventus," the silverette pointed out, and Sora nodded. "Goodnight, guys. We'll see you in the morning."

"Goodnight," we all replied, and the pair left.

"I'd better get back to Terra, or else he'll be wondering where I'm at," Ven added, rolling his eyes.

"Okay. Goodnight, Ven," I told him, and nuzzled my brother before he left.

"Congrats again on the pups!" he called quietly before disappearing into his den. Axel and I smiled softly at each other before padding into our own den, curling up together with our noses touching, and going to sleep.

A/N: Okay, I know this was a shorter chapter, but I didn't know how else to continue from here, so I'll continue in the next chapter. R&R, peeps!


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Now for some insider about Roxas and Riku. Enjoy~

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the story.

Wolves At Heart

Chapter 5

X*X(2 Weeks Later)X*X

Holy shit, it's been a long couple of weeks. I've been doing nightly patrols for the past two weeks, patrolling for half of each night with Riku, and I'm telling you now, it's been a huge pain in my ass. Fucking exhausting, really. And especially seeing as Riku and I don't exactly see eye-to-eye.

Anyway, I was crawling into the bedding with Axel, who was fast asleep, his pregnant belly showing as he lay on his side, but when I curled up with my mate, I was startled to hear him speak up.

"Long night?" he asked softly.

"You have no idea," I sighed.

"…Roxas, why do you and Riku seem to dislike each other so much?" the redhead questioned after a moment.

"…It's because I felt he stole Sora from me," I mumbled, ashamed. "I know Riku hasn't, and that Sora will always be my brother, but he's the youngest of our litter. I can't help but try to look out for him because I'm the oldest in the litter. Ven is the middle child, so he never really felt that way, but he understands. That's part of it."

"What's the other part?" Axel asked quietly, looking at me with his bright emerald eyes.

"…I…Riku and I used to be close," I mumbled. "We used to be really good friends, even to the point where I thought Riku and I would be mates, but…he said he didn't feel the same way about me. He…" I whimpered the next part. "He told me he cared about Sora that way…and I was heartbroken…That's why I didn't have really any friends except for my family and Terra when I first brought you here."

"Why don't you dislike Terra, though?" he wondered. "If he's mated to Ventus, then why don't you dislike Terra?"

"Because Terra and I weren't as close as Riku and I were," I explained. "Besides, Terra didn't try to hog all of Ven's attention like Riku did with Sora."

"I'm sorry that happened, Roxas," Axel murmured. "But at least you and I are together now, we're expecting pups, and that's what matters, right?" He blushed when he mentioned the pups. I nuzzled him lovingly and licked his cheek.

"You're right," I agreed. "I'm happy, and hopefully I can learn to trust Riku again."

"I'm sure you'll be able to," he promised. "Now let's sleep. You're exhausted, and you'll need the sleep for tomorrow night's patrol."

"Don't remind me," I whined, but smiled anyway. I lowered my head to rest on the bedding, and Axel copied me. "Goodnight, Axel. I love you."

"Goodnight, Roxas. I love you, too," he whispered, and we went to sleep.

X*X*X*X*X*X*X

Morning arrived, and with it, a new sense of hope. I raised my head and yawned widely, and then looked down at my still snoozing mate. Chuckling softly, I nudged him gently to wake him.

"Good morning, love," I whispered in his ear. He shivered lightly before opening his eyes.

"Good morning, Rox," he yawned.

"Ready for more training with Terra today?" I asked as I stood and stretched. Feeling two clicks in my back I shuddered slightly and sat back on my haunches, my tail wagging eagerly. Axel's training with Terra had been going really well, considering Axel was pregnant. He was almost ready for any fight. Another week and he'd be set to go.

"I guess so," Axel shrugged, standing and stretching as well. Once he had shaken his fur out, I nuzzled him and led my redheaded mate outside to eat some of the early catches. The latter half of the night patrol had caught some prey in the early hours of the morning, so there was some form of sustenance waiting for everyone. I grabbed a small doe that was in the pile and brought it back over to Axel so we could share. When we finished eating, Terra approached with Ven.

"Good morning, guys," they greeted. "You two ready to head out and start training?"

"Yup, whenever you are," I answered.

"Actually, Rox, you're training with Riku today," Terra told me. "Sorry."

"Oh…okay," I said, confused. I nuzzled Axel lovingly, licked his cheek, and then murmured, "I love you."

"Love you, too, Rox," he replied before standing. As he followed Terra out of the hollow, Ven sat down next to me as I stood.

"Wait, Roxas. I want to talk to you," my identical brother whispered. I gave him a puzzled look. "Actually, let's go in private. Sora wants to talk to you, too."

"About…?" I questioned, staying where I was.

"Just follow me, stupid," he muttered, rolling his eyes. I followed Ven, still puzzled, but froze when I caught Riku's scent close by. My eyes flitted about, trying to spot him, but when I couldn't see him, I attempted to shrug it off, and continued following my brother. When we rounded a corner, however, I growled when I saw Riku standing with Sora.

"What's he doing here?" I demanded, baring my teeth. Sora lowered his head sadly.

"I heard you and Axel talking last night before I fell asleep," he admitted. "I didn't know that's why you and Riku weren't so close anymore, Roxas."

"I was trying to protect you," I said stiffly.

"You still should have told me!" the brunette snapped. "We're brothers! We're supposed to trust each other, and I trusted you to tell me if something was wrong!"

"I didn't want to break your heart, Sora!" I barked. "I knew you liked him, too, after Riku told me he didn't feel the same! I could see it in your eyes every time you looked at him! Sorry that I was trying to help you get your true mate in the end!" My brother flinched at my words, and Riku stepped forward as if to defend him. "Don't start with me, you bastard," I snarled, backing away a step. I noticed Ven move out of the corner of my eye as though he was going to try and block me, but I leapt out of his way as he lunged at me.

"Back off!" I warned, but Riku came closer, and I felt fear grip me for the first time since I was a pup. Shaking slightly, I turned and bolted out of the clearing, disappearing into the depths of the forest.

"Roxas!" Ven and Sora cried out after me. Tears burned in my eyes as I fled into the deepest part of the forest, where my secret hiding place is. I hadn't been there in eight years, not since I had found Axel, but I still remembered where it was. Hopefully nothing had happened to it…

I ran through along a creek, making sure the others would lose my scent as I continued onward. Sobs wracked my body as I fled, hurt and betrayal clouding my mind. Why would they try and corner me? Why would Sora feel like I should have told him? Why would Riku try and stop me from telling him if that's what my brother wanted? All of these questions and more ran through my mind like a broken record, unrelenting in their pain.

When I eventually reached my secret hideout, I wormed my way through the brush that had grown in the way of the entrance over the years, and collapsed in a sobbing heap on the cave floor in my human form. My ears were flat against my head, and my tail was tucked as I curled up in the fetal position. I cried myself to sleep, hoping and praying that they wouldn't find me.

X*X*X*X*X*X*X

"Roxas…?" a voice called tentatively into my hiding place later when I woke. A deep rumbling growl emerged from my chest, and I realized I had shifted to wolf form in my sleep. I carefully stood and shook, clearing my mind of the fogginess that had formed as I had slept.

"Who's there?" I rasped, squinting my eyes at the faint moonlight coming in from the cave entrance.

"It's me, Axel," the voice answered back, and my eyes widened in shock.

"How did you find me?" I asked as he padded over to me.

"I…don't know myself. I followed my instincts, and they led me here to you," the redhead replied, nuzzling me. I nuzzled him back, feeling tears sting at my eyes again.

"Do the others know where you are?" I questioned urgently.

"No," Axel shook his head. "I wouldn't let them follow me. I wanted to be alone with you."

"Thank you," I whispered, shifting back and hugging him tightly. My redhead shifted back as well and held me close. Well, as close as he could with his swollen stomach in the way. Axel placed his tail around us, and he murmured into my ear soothingly as I sobbed into his shoulder.

"Don't thank me," he breathed. "I will protect you, no matter what." I gave a hollow chuckle.

"I should be saying that about you, not the other way around," I mumbled, smiling slightly. He pulled back and kissed my forehead softly.

"Just because I'm the pregnant one doesn't mean I can't try and protect you, Rox," he snorted.

"I know, I know…" I sighed. "I just…since I'm the father, I want to protect my family-to-be…"

"So…" Axel said after a few moments. "You fled from the clearing because Riku, Sora, and Ventus tried to corner you about why you don't like Riku, huh?" I stiffened at his question, and my mate noticed. "It's okay, you know. I don't judge you."

"I know…and…yes, that's why," I replied softly.

"Why would they do that?"

"Apparently, Sora overheard us last night when I shared with you why I'm not friends with Riku anymore, and he wanted to know why I didn't tell him sooner."

"He didn't know?"

"No, no one but Riku and I did," I answered. "Not even my parents knew. They probably do now, though…"

"They do. When Terra and I returned from training, your brothers, parents, and Riku came to me and explained what had happened, and asked me to find you. I told them I would, but for them to not follow."

"Thank you," I murmured, snuggling into his side more. Axel kissed the top of my head in between my ears.

"You're welcome," he whispered. "I know they're worried about you, all of them. Even the other members of the pack."

"Everyone knows?" I asked in horror, my ears drooping.

"Unfortunately," the redhead sighed.

"Shit, I can't keep anything private anymore, can I?" I mumbled, burying my head in Axel's chest.

"You managed to keep this place private," he assured me. "Trust me, I made sure no one could follow my tracks."

"I trust you, but it's everyone else I have a hard time believing they wouldn't try to find me," I grumbled, flattening my ears and scowling. Suddenly, a snap of a branch outside the cave made me glare at the entrance, and we both scrambled to our feet, shifting to wolf form.

"Who's there?!" I demanded, baring my teeth furiously. A somewhat familiar and cocky laugh rang out against the rock walls of the cavern.

"Have you been a good boy, Roxas?" was the call back, and the blonde fur on my neck rose at the familiarity.

"Xigbar?!" I snarled, gently pushing Axel aside to hide him behind me. "Stay back," I hissed to him, and he nodded once. "What are _you_ doing here?"

"Came to do some scouting for Xemnas," the gray and black wolf shrugged, coming closer. "Went to the old hollow and discovered everyone was out, searching for you two, so I decided to find you myself. After all, Vexen never reported back from his spying."

"So he _was_ trying to spy on us!" I growled. "Why would you help Xemnas, Xigbar? He's probably been nothing but cruel to all of you, hasn't he?"

"As if," Xigbar scoffed. "He's been helping us to rid the forest of humans, like that little pet you brought back eight years ago. Speaking of which, you changed him, didn't you? Sure, my eyesight is shot, but I can smell him behind you, so don't lie."

"Yeah, I changed him," I answered. "What're ya gonna do about it? Kill me?"

"As if. I know I don't stand a chance against you," the older ookami pointed out.

"Damn straight," I smirked.

"But I can at least report this back to Xemnas," he grinned, and suddenly bolted, disappearing into the forest before I could even move. "Be a good boy now!" he shouted as he vanished. I snarled furiously, stomping a paw on the cave floor in frustration.

"DAMMIT!" I screamed. "FUCKING DAMMIT!"

"Roxas! Calm down!" Axel pleaded, watching me fearfully. I gazed into those terrified emerald orbs, my fury dying down quickly. I gave a long, low whine before suddenly falling over and blacking out.

A/N: Sorry about da cliffy, but I needed to end this before it became too long for my liking. Anyhoo, R&R, peeps!


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Sorry about the cliffy, folks, but I needed to end that chapter at some point. Anyway, here's the next chappie! Happy AkuRoku Day, everyone! Enjoy~

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the story.

Wolves At Heart

Chapter 6

"Roxas. Roxas, please wake up," a worried voice pleaded with me. I fought against the heavy darkness that was weighing my conscious down. Struggling against it, I somehow managed to open my eyes slowly and see a blurry red shape. I blinked a few times before the shape defined itself, and it turned out to be Axel.

"A…Axel…?" I mumbled, confused. What had happened? I didn't even get to ask before my mate seemed to notice my puzzlement.

"After Xigbar disappeared, you got really angry, and then passed out," he told me, his expression concerned. I recognized scents far too familiar for them to belong to the cave I had passed out in, and immediately, my eyes went wide as I realized I was back in my den.

"Axel, are we back in the clearing?" I asked in a whisper, my voice fearful. He nodded sadly.

"I didn't know what else to do…" he admitted, looking away. "I'm sorry…" I quickly grabbed his hand, gripping it firmly.

"Don't leave me," I begged. "I don't want to be alone when they come in. I can't."

"I won't leave you, Roxas, I promise," Axel swore, and, sitting up, I hugged him tightly. He hugged me back, even around his swollen stomach, and I felt tears form in the corners of my eyes.

"I'm sorry I scared you like that," I breathed. "I'll try not to let it happen again."

"I believe you," he murmured. My ears twitched and then flattened when I heard voices approaching. I tensed up, my tail tucking, and whined quietly, and Axel held me tighter. "Don't worry, they're not mad; just worried. I'm here, and I love you."

"I love you, too," I whispered, and then Cloud, Leon, and Aerith came in.

"I see you're awake," Aerith said, and began to check me over. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm okay, I guess," I shrugged, avoiding my parents' gazes.

"Are you hurting at all?" the brunette female asked me kindly.

"No," I answered honestly. _My heart hurts, though_, I thought bitterly, lowering my head slightly.

"Aerith, can you give us a moment, please?" Leon asked her. She nodded in understanding, and left the den. Once she was gone, he cast me a hard look. "Roxas. Why didn't you tell us about that incident sooner?"

"…"

"Answer me."

"…I didn't want him to be in trouble," I mumbled. At my parents' questioning looks, I explained, "I thought he would get in trouble or that you two would be mad at him if I told you, so I hid it from you. I…just don't want to bother with it anymore." They were silent, and then Mom spoke up.

"Roxas, we wouldn't have been mad at Riku at all," he assured me. "We would have understood how you felt, and comforted you."

"This is what I don't get, and pardon me for jumping in, but why is Roxas the only one being accused of hiding things? Riku's just as guilty for not saying anything himself," Axel pointed out. I realized he was right, and my ears flattened angrily against my head, camouflaging amongst my blonde spikes.

"Axel's got a point," I growled. "Why am I the only one being questioned here? Riku could have said something himself ten years ago when this happened! Why didn't he?"

"Because I didn't want to hurt you," Riku's voice said from the entrance to my den. He walked in, his own silver ears flat.

"What are you doing here? You've done enough!" I snapped, shaking with rage. "Because of you, Sora knows, he hates me because I didn't tell him sooner, Ven's mad at me for hiding it from him as well, and I know you're upset with me, too!"

"I'm not mad at you, Roxas," the silverette told me softly. "I never intended to hurt you, you should know that. We used to be so close, and then when you confessed and I didn't return your feelings because I love Sora, the heartbroken look on your face crushed me. I knew there was no going back, but I still regret hurting you the way I did. Can you ever forgive me?"

"…" I was silent, my thoughts pondering Riku's apology. He obviously felt bad, but that didn't change the current situation. Dammit, why does this have to be so hard?

"Roxas?" Riku said.

"…I'll forgive, but I can't forget, Riku. You can't change the past. But the best thing to do is to move on," I murmured eventually. He immediately came over and hugged me briefly before pulling away and smiling warmly at me.

"Thank you. I truly have felt bad, but I didn't want to bring it up because I knew it would hurt you more," the silverette told me.

"And it did," I admitted. "I don't think I would have ever been ready to talk about it, to be completely honest."

"Well, as long as you two are okay now, that's what matters," Leon finally spoke up.

"Yeah, we're okay," I grinned, and wagged my tail as Axel wrapped one arm around my waist. I then frowned. "Where _are_ Sora and Ven, anyway?"

"I'll get them," Riku said, and shifted to wolf form before bounding off to fetch my brothers. Within seconds, there was a pair of excited cries and Ven and Sora came bolting into the den in their human forms.

"Roxas!" Sora shrieked, and tackle-hugged me. "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to make you upset!" Ven hugged me, too, but didn't tackle into me like Sora had.

"And I'm sorry for trying to block you," he apologized. "I didn't know you would react so badly."

"It's okay, guys," I promised. "Riku and I are okay now. I don't hate him anymore."

"Really?!" Sora gasped, looking up at me with shining blue eyes.

"Yeah, he apologized, and I realized that I have to move on sometime," I replied.

"Good to hear," Ven murmured as he let go of me. "That's good that things won't be so tense between you two now."

"You're telling me," I chuckled. Suddenly, I remembered what happened before I passed out earlier, and looked at Axel. "Did you tell anyone what had happened when I blacked out?"

"No, I just told them you passed out from physical, mental, and emotional exhaustion," my mate answered.

"What happened?" Leon questioned.

"Xigbar found us, so he now knows about Axel's change," I growled. "And he fled before I could do anything. I got pissed off and blacked out once he was gone."

"And he's reporting back to Xemnas?" Cloud asked.

"Yes, he said he would. And there's more," I added. "Xemnas's pack is killing humans that enter the forest."

"What?!" Terra gasped as he entered. "Why?!"

"Because he hates humans, as does the rest of his pack," I replied, glaring at the floor. "If only I could have stopped Xigbar before he fled…"

"Roxas, it would have been nearly impossible," Leon told me comfortingly. "Xigbar's always been a swift ookami, so I don't blame you."

"Yeah, well, I blame myself," I grumbled. "If I hadn't let him escape, Xemnas would still be in the dark."

"Don't worry so much, Rox," Ven assured me. "We'll be ready for when they come."

"Okay," I nodded, and looked to the entrance of Aerith's den. "Do you guys mind if Axel and I go back to our den now? I'm starting to feel tired again…"

"Of course. You can resume your night patrols tomorrow night," Leon agreed.

"Sounds good. See you guys tomorrow," I said, and led Axel back to our den while in our wolf forms. As we curled up in our bedding to sleep, I smiled softly at Axel. "Thanks for taking care of me and supporting me, Axel."

"No problem, Rox," he murmured, yawning. "You've always been there for me since we met, so it only stands to reason that I do the same for you. Besides, we're mates, and I'm carrying our pups. Of course I'll always take care of you and support you."

"Well, thanks anyway," I told him gratefully, licking his cheek. "I love you. Get some sleep."

"Love you, too, Roxas. Goodnight," he mumbled tiredly, and we fell asleep together.

X*X(2 Weeks Later)X*X

_Almost time for Xemnas to invade_, I thought to myself as I woke up that morning. He'll probably be here before the end of the day, or even when dusk hits. He's always been like that.

Everyone had been preparing for the oncoming fight, even Aerith, Zexion, and Naminé. They don't normally fight, but they needed to learn some sort of defense strategy in case they were attacked. Demyx had even been appointed their "bodyguard", seeing as he's so protective of Zexion and everyone else. Everyone had been training as hard as they could so we would be safe.

Axel was two weeks away from giving birth, whereas Sora was three weeks away. Ven hadn't become pregnant yet, but then again, he hadn't gone into heat yet, according to Terra. They knew the signs of heat, thanks to Mom and Dad, so that wasn't the problem. Fortunately, it didn't seem to bother either of them.

Speaking of pregnancies, my redheaded mate shared with me a week ago about how he could feel the pups moving inside of him, and how sometimes they would kick. I had felt it when I would be lying next to him at night, and it was an amazing feeling, I gotta admit. Almost makes me wanna be pregnant…

A sudden faint howl from deep within the forest snapped me out of my thoughts, and I raised my head, listening carefully over the rain that was starting. It didn't sound very familiar, so I quietly woke my mate.

"Axel, wake up," I whispered, nudging him gently. "There's something outside. I'm gonna check it out." He looked up at me quickly, his emerald eyes alarmed.

"But what if it's Xemnas?" he asked.

"That's a risk I need to take," I replied. "Stay here, and if you hear my howl or anything unusual, howl and wake the others." The redhead nodded, and I silently crept outside, my senses heightened to pick up any foreign sounds.

Out of nowhere, a shadow flitted past in the corner of my field of vision, and I glanced over, but saw nothing. Suddenly, I was tackled, hard, and I staggered to try and regain my balance. I snarled, and then a howl echoed throughout the clearing. It was Axel, and he was alerting our pack of Xemnas's attack. I glared at the offender who had tackled me, and it turned out to be Xigbar.

"You?!" I barked.

"Who else?" he grinned cockily. "Time to die!" He lunged at me, and I side-stepped quickly as Xemnas's pack came charging into the clearing, and the skies opened up with a torrent of rain. I howled loudly, and my pack emerged from their dens. Sora and Ven ran and tackled Xigbar, their claws out and fangs bared, and the older ookami was slammed into a rock wall.

Aerith, Zexion, Naminé, and Demyx stayed inside Aerith's den with Demyx guarding the only entrance. Riku and Terra were ganging up on Xaldin, backing him into a corner. Cloud, Leon, Marluxia, Xion, and Kairi were fighting against Lexaeus, Larxene, and Luxord, and that fight was getting crazy. Unfortunately, Xemnas and Saix were nowhere to be seen. I looked about, trying to find the silver-haired ookami and his blue-haired mate, but couldn't see them anywhere.

"Looking for me?" a voice taunted, and I whipped around, snarling, and glared at the source: Xemnas. He stood above me on the top of the rocks, Saix by his side.

"Get down here, you fucking coward!" I snapped, and he grinned evilly at me.

"With pleasure," he smirked, and had Saix leap at me, but right before the blunette ookami could make contact, Axel lunged at him, smashing right into him and sending him flying into the rock wall.

"Nice timing," I complimented my mate as he trotted to my side.

"Thanks," he grinned, and we turned to face the pair. Xemnas scowled when he recognized Axel.

"So, Xigbar was correct. You _did_ change that human into an ookami," he sneered, but then he noticed Axel's swollen stomach. "_And_ he's with pups? Well, well, Roxas. You've been busy, indeed."

"Not that it's any of your business, Xemnas," I spat. "You won't hurt him. I won't let you!" And with that, I feigned a leap to the left, but then shot off to the right instead, ricocheting off the ground and delivering a blow to his face with my paw. Saix tried to intervene, but I kicked at him like a horse, sending him skidding back, slightly stunned. I returned my attention to Xemnas, who was racing towards me, snarling. I stood my ground, snarling and snapping my jaws at him, the fur on the back of my neck raised. The silver-haired ookami smacked into me hard, but I was ready.

I crunched down on his scruff as hard as I could until he yelped, and even then I refused to release him. He batted at me with his paws, struggling to be let go, but then Saix tackled me, clawing my left flank. I let go of Xemnas with a yelp, and he quickly took advantage by bowling me over and trying to pin me. I lay on my back, but then kicked him when he stood over me, sending him tumbling back. Saix took over, but Axel smashed into him again, making him roll. Giving the redhead a brief nod in thanks, we stood side by side as the opposing pair rushed at us again.

This time, though, Xemnas kicked mud at me, blinding me momentarily, and I whimpered as I tried to paw the mud out of my eyes. Next thing I knew, Axel was yelping and crying out loudly. I was able to clear the gunk from my eyes, and I looked in horror to see Saix pinning Axel as Xemnas was about to deliver the death bite.

"NO!" I screamed, and shot at them, tackling Saix and knocking him into Xemnas before he could harm my mate. "Don't. Hurt. Him!" I barked, and swiftly pinned Saix before Xemnas could react, and bit down on his jugular, killing him. I turned to the silver-haired bastard, who was about to retreat, but I darted at him and pinned him as well, poising my jaws over his throat. "Goodbye, Xemnas," I hissed, and bit down, severing his jugular, too. I lifted my blood-stained muzzle to look at Axel, who was lying on the ground, unmoving except for his breathing.

"Roxas!" Zexion's voice rang out, and he ran up to me with Demyx, both of them in wolf form.

"Zexion! Hurry, I think Axel's hurt!" I shouted over the rain. He nodded, and both ookamis followed me to my mate. The slate-haired wolf sniffed at Axel carefully, checking for wounds and anything else, and then turned to me. "Is he okay, Zex?"

"Yes, he's okay. He just got knocked out from hitting the rocks, is all," my friend assured me. I sighed in relief.

"Thank goodness…" I murmured.

"What about you? Are you okay, Roxas?" Demyx asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Xemnas and Saix aren't, though. I killed them," I replied.

"Then everyone in his pack is now dead," Leon said, climbing up to join us. "His entire pack is finished. Unfortunately, we lost a pack member, too…"

"Who?" I demanded, feeling a cold chill run down my spine.

"Marluxia," Cloud murmured as he also joined us. "Xion, Kairi, and Naminé are grieving right now."

"Is anyone else hurt?" I questioned.

"Everyone is okay, just a few bite marks and scratches, but that's it," Zexion told me. "Aerith is looking over the others now."

"That's good to know, but I can't believe we lost Marluxia…" I said softly.

"Let's get Axel to your guys' den before he gets sick," Demyx suggested, and I nodded. The sandy blonde ookami helped me carry the redhead to my den, and I helped him curl up comfortably before shifting to human form.

"Will you be okay?" he asked as he paused near the exit of my den.

"Yeah, go ahead and help Zex and Aerith," I replied, and he nodded before leaving. As I watched Axel sleep, I shifted back to human form and placed my hand on his swollen stomach. Waiting, I was rewarded with a couple of thumps, and I smiled brightly. _They're still okay_, I thought to myself. _Thank goodness…_

A/N: And there's the end of the chapter! I'll continue this in the next chapter, but I hope you guys enjoyed it! R&R, peeps!


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